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Current Projects

Many of the Rodale Institute research projects over the years have dealt with insect and disease pest pressure, but we’ve just recently launched into a collaborative project focusing on organic management of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) has become a significant threat to US agriculture since its introduction, causing severe losses for organic farmers in a wide variety of crops. Little to no information is available on organic management of this invasive pest. This national project is funded by USDA - NIFA OREI program # 2012-51300-20097 with Dr. Anne Nielsen at Rutgers University as the project director. This national organic task force was developed to define and address the threat posed by BMSB and includes organic farmers, researchers, extension personnel, and regulatory officials. Our goal is to rapidly develop BMSB management techniques based around a better understanding of BMSB dispersal and whole-farm movement and the application of core organic pest management principles including: enhancing natural enemy activity, habitat manipulation and crop barriers. Rodale will contribute to this effort, which includes support or involvement of 25 researchers, 3 organic organizations, and 12 organic farmers.

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Did you know?

The brown marmorated stink bug is a relatively new agricultural pest. It was accidentally introduced to Pennsylvania in the mid-1990s from Asia and can damage fruit and vegetable crops alike. Numbers of brown marmorated stink bugs have jumped considerably in recent years leading researchers to fast track work on how to combat them, especially for organic farmers.